I must admit that I have not read much systematically in the area since college - at one time "I'll Take My Stand" was very dear to me.
Two of the professors I knew at Auburn, Dr Weatherby and Dr Allen, had been taught by agrarians at Vanderbilt, and both of these men became Orthodox Christians in the mid-1970s.
It's predictable but lamentable that Vanderbilt does its best to deny its connection with the agrarians, none of their poetry is taught today at Vandy. I suppose much of it can be laid at the feet of unthinking PC. To be fair to Vanderbilt, some of the agrarianism were openly racist, notably Davidson, who had the longest connection with the university.
Davidson, was, however, a great thinker, writer and poet. Great art should not be shunned merely because the artist is an SOB. If that were the test many museums and libraries would be nearly vacant.
Have you read "Crunchy Cons"? To be sure, it's not on the same plane as the primary agrarian works you mentioned, but Rod Dreher hits on many themes that agrarians hold dear. I understand that Rod is seriously considering becoming Orthodox. His chapter on Religion includes an interview with an Orthodox friend of mine.
I believe there is a connection between the world-view of Orthodoxy and agrarianism. Both share a conception of ordinary things as sacramental. The environment we live our lives in is important. There is more to life than materialism and efficiency.
Somehow I had a feeling that you had an agrarian connection, and that's why I pinged you. I think it is fascinating that you had two agrarian-educated professors who became Orthodox -- but not surprising.
I remember being floored when I read the essay by John Crowe Ransom collected in "The Superfluous Men," seeing his straight-forward assertion that orthodoxy was to be found first and formost in Orthodoxy. One didn't expect to see that in a man from Tennessee writing many, many decades ago. Likewise Tate's incredible essay on religion and the Old South that I quoted from (it is in his "Collected Essays."
You are right that some of the agrarians were openly racist. At the very least, many could be accused of pretending that racism and slavery had never existed. Not to take this obvious problem head-on doomed them to being forgotten. I think that this is a big unspoken part of what Tate's essay addresses -- the South had good instincts, but couldn't defend them, for a host of reasons, not least of which was the fact that they were never able to put their instincts together into a coherent whole.
"Davidson, was, however, a great thinker, writer and poet. Great art should not be shunned merely because the artist is an SOB. If that were the test many museums and libraries would be nearly vacant."
I couldn't agree more.
I'll have to check out "Crunchy Cons" -- I'm always interested in reading things in this line.
"I believe there is a connection between the world-view of Orthodoxy and agrarianism. Both share a conception of ordinary things as sacramental. The environment we live our lives in is important. There is more to life than materialism and efficiency."
I of course couldn't agree more. The original Agrarian movement was fatally flawed, but its study has incredible value for a host of reasons, not least of which is the fact that these gentlemen were trying to make sense of it all in a specifically modern American context, as are we.